Marc Stein's picks for All-Star reserves: Aldridge isn't even top 5 omission

[Fireball]

LMA is not an All-Star this season ... lol at Klay Thompson not deserving it ... his 60 point game alone warrants him a spot tbh

[dabom]

LMA is not an All-Star this season ... lol at Klay Thompson not deserving it ... his 60 point game alone warrants him a spot tbh

Tell me all the warrior all-stars? That you think will make it.

[TD 21]

I'd argue that of all the players on the Warriors roster, the one they could afford to lose the least would be Draymond. He's arguably DPOY so far.

This is probably true, but like Bosh, that's more a reflection of their roster construction than him. He's still the clear third best player on the roster and is in an ideal situation.


At people pretending as if it's solely about merit, with the exception of the no brainers. You know who else got off to a slow start and is a worse player to begin with? Thompson, yet no one seems to take issue with him making it (and he will make it, because he's the most overrated player in the league) or suggesting who should, if Aldridge shouldn't.

Again, basing it off of the way it's been done as long as I can remember, it should be: Green, Conley (Paul replacement), Gasol, Westbrook, Cousins, Aldridge, Hayward.

SO the teams with the best record...
Warriors 4 all-stars
Cavs 3 all-stars
Raptors 2 all-stars

Not to mention the Jazz get 2


Yet, the Spurs only get 1. Seems to me if that's the case it boosts either Kawhi's MVP candidacy or Pop's COY case or both.

I think LMA should be on there. If he isn't, I hope it motivates him, but he keeps playing the team game (all those assists) he's been doing lately.

[Fireball]

Tell me all the warrior all-stars? That you think will make it.

draymond and klay should be in the mix ... I do not know if they make it but they deserve it more than LMA ...
if LMA gets somehow selected he will think its enough how he has played this season so far but he needs to step it up

[dabom]

draymond and klay should be in the mix ... I do not know if they make it but they deserve it more than LMA ...
if LMA gets somehow selected he will think its enough how he has played this season so far but he needs to step it up

Don't cop out. Tell me every Warrior YOU would put in the Allstar game.

[phxspurfan]

Aldridge is not having an all star season, non-issue

[HarlemHeat37]

Merit is largely irrelevant, as reputation and team success have always played a major role in All-Star selections and he checks both boxes.

It's hypocritical to apply that criteria when it's a Warrior, then disregard it when it's a Spur.

I think there's a decent chance that Aldridge will make it for the reasons you mentioned(specifically reputation)..However, I just don't believe he's had anything close to an All-Star caliber 1st half of the season..

If it was strictly based on merit, he wouldn't get in..The name on the back of his jersey still gives him a chance to actually make the team, though..

[UZER]

Maybe him not getting in will light a fire under his ass.

Probably not.

[Spurtacular]

http://www.espn.com/blog/marc-stein/...-star-reserves

Yet he picks Thompson, who's had a worse season and is a worse player in general, reasoning that the Warriors "deserve" four players (yet somehow their closest pursuers don't deserve two) because of their play this week and because he can be an "irresistible showman". All these national writers, who have practically transformed into Warriors beat writers from spending so much time covering them the past few years, like him and Michael Lee of the Vertical, either can't conceal their bias or don't even bother trying, but either way, it's sickening.

Aldridge hasn't had a great season, but he was a no brainer his last 4-5 seasons as a Trail Blazer and the only differences are, he's a more efficient scorer and this season a worse defensive rebounder, yet somehow he's lost credibility because he's no longer averaging 22 and 10? Of course his averages were going to go down, playing less minutes, taking less shots and playing next to better rebounders. There's no common sense.

By a lot of the national media's logic, if the Warriors have four stars to the Spurs one, shouldn't that mean that Leonard is the runaway favorite for MVP? They're once again the only team even near their stratosphere in the regular season, yet he's not even considered top two. Unbelievable.

Marc Stein is clearly an idiot, tbh.

[spursistan]

http://www.espn.com/blog/marc-stein/...-star-reserves

Yet he picks Thompson, who's had a worse season and is a worse player in general, reasoning that the Warriors "deserve" four players (yet somehow their closest pursuers don't deserve two) because of their play this week and because he can be an "irresistible showman". All these national writers, who have practically transformed into Warriors beat writers from spending so much time covering them the past few years, like him and Michael Lee of the Vertical, either can't conceal their bias or don't even bother trying, but either way, it's sickening.

Aldridge hasn't had a great season, but he was a no brainer his last 4-5 seasons as a Trail Blazer and the only differences are, he's a more efficient scorer and this season a worse defensive rebounder, yet somehow he's lost credibility because he's no longer averaging 22 and 10? Of course his averages were going to go down, playing less minutes, taking less shots and playing next to better rebounders. There's no common sense.

By a lot of the national media's logic, if the Warriors have four stars to the Spurs one, shouldn't that mean that Leonard is the runaway favorite for MVP? They're once again the only team even near their stratosphere in the regular season, yet he's not even considered top two. Unbelievable.

if he becomes the fourth Warrior at ASG with GSW just two games ahead of us in the loss column..

[cd98]

The all star game is a shame and the voting is a sham. The fact that voters think its important to have four warriors because they have two less losses than the number 2 Spurs while sending only one Spur is an example of the bias in voting. Plus, the criteria is now changing with people saying that they want to send the more exciting players to the all star game. If that's the case, then what does it even mean to be an all-star and why is that a criteria used in judging the quality of a player. The reality is the all-star game and its credibility has been on a downward slant. How long will it take for fans to tune out of Westbrook and Durant each taking 40 shots in an effort to outdo each other for the MVP. I mean the Kobe vs. MJ dynamic years ago was a little compelling as they played against each other and wanted to show each other up, but at this point, Durant and Westbrook are just chucking for numbers and fighting with each other for the ball. What will happen to the Warriors' relationships if they don't feed the ball to Durant?

[Cry Havoc]

Marc Stein kept the Warriors at #1 in his Power Rankings the whole year last year, even during the week when the Spurs beat them and everyone else had the Spurs #1. He wanted to keep them at #1 for the sake of being able to say they were #1 the whole year.

This time, he's giving favorable treatment to Houston, putting the Rockets above the Spurs in his Power Rankings even though the latter is clearly better than the former.

What? Spurs are #2 this week. They went 4-3 the week before, the drop to 4th was deserved.

[Cry Havoc]

The all star game is a shame and the voting is a sham. The fact that voters think its important to have four warriors because they have two less losses than the number 2 Spurs while sending only one Spur is an example of the bias in voting. Plus, the criteria is now changing with people saying that they want to send the more exciting players to the all star game. If that's the case, then what does it even mean to be an all-star and why is that a criteria used in judging the quality of a player. The reality is the all-star game and its credibility has been on a downward slant. How long will it take for fans to tune out of Westbrook and Durant each taking 40 shots in an effort to outdo each other for the MVP. I mean the Kobe vs. MJ dynamic years ago was a little compelling as they played against each other and wanted to show each other up, but at this point, Durant and Westbrook are just chucking for numbers and fighting with each other for the ball. What will happen to the Warriors' relationships if they don't feed the ball to Durant?

I disagree with Klay getting in. He hasn't done enough this season.

But I also disagree that LMA deserves a spot. There are too many other good bigs this year.

[Seventyniner]

If it was strictly based on merit, he wouldn't get in..The name on the back of his jersey still gives him a chance to actually make the team, though..

Nah, I think it's the name on the front of the jersey that will matter. Being the 2nd best player on a near .800 team is usually enough for a spot by itself.

[cd98]

I disagree with Klay getting in. He hasn't done enough this season.

But I also disagree that LMA deserves a spot. There are too many other good bigs this year.

There are better players than both of those guys that will be left off the team, which is why the all-star nod is getting more and more meaningless.

[spurraider21]

i dont think aldridge makes it this year. he's certainly not getting in ahead of cousins, green, gobert, towns... and he'd have to beat out a bunch of guards for that last wildcard spot, too

was pretty sure he wouldn't make it... but didnt think jordan/hayward woulda made it

[tholdren]

He's their best playmaker and defensive anchor..mediocre numbers? He's averaging 7.7 APG from the PF position

LOL you're so ignorant. If I were on the floor with Durant, Thompson, Curry I would average 20 apg. LOL APG in that lineup... you be dumb bro

[Kawhitstorm]

http://www.espn.com/blog/marc-stein/...-star-reserves

Yet he picks Thompson, who's had a worse season and is a worse player in general

Klay has the second highest on/off number on the team only behind Curry: http://www.basketball-reference.com/...W/2017/on-off/

[tonight...you]

Klay has the second highest on/off number on the team only behind Curry: http://www.basketball-reference.com/...W/2017/on-off/

Okay...and?

[SAGirl]

Lamarcus didn't make it in.

[TD 21]

Klay has the second highest on/off number on the team only behind Curry: http://www.basketball-reference.com/...W/2017/on-off/

Just a sample of the most overrated player in the league's season . . .

TS%: 63rd
PER: 101st
WS/48:118th
VORP: 128th
BPM: 137th

He not only had no business being selected, but even receiving serious consideration and if he were anything but a Warrior, he wouldn't have.